Train to re-open before Christmas: Pen

Train to re-open soon soon: Pen

Santa arrived at the Pen Centre in grand fashion this year, coming in on the Polar Bear Express Train. The slow moving ride was shut down last week by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, which deemed it to be an amusement ride requiring a licence.
THIS WEEK FILE PHOTO

The express train used to deliver children to see Santa in the Pen Centre that was closed last week, should be re-opened soon.

Marketing director Rick Woodward said Monday afternoon that he’s confident the licencing requirements dictated by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority will be completed soon, and that the body will act swiftly to get the attraction up and running.

The train was stopped in its tracks last week, after an inspector from the TSSA, an arms-length body of the provincial government, was doing a routine inspection of the mall’s elevators when he attended the new Christmas display, which has $750,000 worth of equipment and decorations and opened on Nov. 17.

According to a notice posted on the mall’s Facebook page, the inspector deemed the Polar Bear Express Train in the Sear’s Court to be an amusement ride that requires special licencing.

Woodward said that while mall officials certainly understand the role of the TSSA in ensuring public safety, it never occurred to them that this attraction would come under their jurisdiction, that this would be considered an amusement ride.

He said that was also the case for Studio Artefact, the Montreal company they purchased their Christmas display from.

“They’re also dumbfounded,” Woodward said.

He added that he’s confident that once they get all their paperwork in place — something he expects in the next few days, the TSSA will adjudicate the matter quickly.

He said no one wants to come across as the ‘Grinch Who Stole Christmas.’

“This is not good PR for anybody,” he said.

Woodward said the train will be up and running again before Christmas.

“I’m confident of that,” he said.

In the meantime, the Santa station will, remain open, and families are invited to visit and have the experience photographed. Visiting children will receive free candy canes and activity books.